What to look for in a used wide belt sander?

[atgcpaul]

This guy is selling a used Performax 16-32 drum sander. It looks to be in pretty
rough condition but it's listed as being in good condition. What should I be
looking out for when I go check it out? I was thinking about bringing a piece of
wood and having him sand it and measure for any variation from side to side. I'm
also worried that the motor for the belt and the conveyer could go out on me.
Would there be any indicators that these would be problematic? Additionally,
what about belt tracking?

This is a first for me. I'm the kinda' guy who buys new cars and new tools.

Thanks, Paul

[Uncle Cracker]

On those sanders, look for smooth up-down (thickness) operation. It should be fairly quiet when running, but the bearings are replaceable if you're getting a good enough deal. Look for end-to-end height uniformity on the drum by sanding two similar pieces of wood, one at each end of the drum, and checking for similar thickness. (Alternately, you can sand a single piece at one end, and then run it through the other end... If you hear sanding going on, other than an occasional swipe, then the second end is lower than the first. Then lower the drum a bit and do the same thing, only start at the second end, and finish at the first. If you hear more sanding going on on the second pass, then that end is lower than the other.) Also, check for smoothness of the feed and quiet in the feed motor, make sure the speed control on the feed motor is working properly, and look at the condition of the feed belt (the conveyor) as these belts do wear and are expensive to replace. If the tracking of the feed belt makes it wander, you should be able to adjust it. Lastly, find out how many extra sanding strips come with it. You will probably need a few different grits, and they ain't cheap. That's about all I can think of at the moment...

One other thing... That unit you pictured has the optional infeed/outfeed table extensions, which are nice to have.

[MikeMcCoy]

Like Uncle C said, the tables are an option that is more than a nice to have. I have the newer version of that sander and love it. I have read a lot of negative comments about alignment issues and a couple of other things but I have gotten the impression that it's probably a case of people passing on things they have read on the forums. I have two friends locally that have that model and neither have had any issues. FWIW, they both use them heavy. Also, DC is a must with any of those sanders.

[Uncle Cracker]

Also, DC is a must with any of those sanders.

Forgot to mention that... He ain't kiddin'... If you think a shopvac will do it, fuhgettabahdit...

[drumpriest]

Yeah, I have a 16-32 and fine it works great. Adjusting it up was a bit of a pain, but not HORRIBLE, and it's held the adjustment, so that's good. If you can pass some stuff through it, that'd be a good test. The conveyor belt is fairly expensive, so if his is shot, keep that in mind.

Most of my friends have the larger 22-44, but my 16-32 has been fine and dandy for me.